Means and method for decurling envelope flaps



I Aug. 1,1944. A. NOVICK 2,354,325

MEANS AND METHOD FOR DECURLING ENVELOPE FL APS Filed Jan. 4, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Abra/1am NOV/CK 4 v ATTORNEYS 1944- A. NOVICK- 2,354,825

MEANS AND METHOD 'FOR DECURLING ENVELOPE FLAPS Filed Jan. 4, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Abraham N0 w'c/r AT TORNEYS A. NOVICK Aug. 1, 1944.

MEANS AND METHOD FOR DECURLING ENVELOPE FLAPS Filed Jan. 4, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet '3 R mk .C M M 0 h m D A ATTO/TNE Y5 Patented Aug. 1, 1944 DIEANS AND METHOD FOR DECUBLING ENVELO FLAPS Abraham Novick, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to F. L. Smlthe Machine 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 4, 1941, Serial No. 373,060

I 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a device and method for removing the curl from and straightening the flaps of envelopes. In the manufacturing of envelopes having gummed sealing flaps, it is found that inthe operation of drying the gum, the edge of the flap i caused to curl toward the bottom flap in'a concave curve so that the entire seal flap does not lie in a single plane. The result of this action is that after the seal flap has been folded over, it does not lie throughout its .full area flap against the back of the envelope'but extends slightly outwardly therefrom with the result that when a supply of the envelopes is formed into a stack, the stack is not of uniform thickness but is substantiallyv thicker on the side occupied by the sealing flaps than on the opposite side. Furthermore, the curling of the seal flap of an envelope causes an undesired deformation of the body portions of adjacent envelopes in the stack as well as its own body portion. Such a stack of envelopes is inconvenient to pack in a container for shipment'to the customer and still more inconvenient when the envelopes are to be used in other machines such as addressing machines, etc. It is a main-purpose of the present invention to obviate the above difliculties by re- Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary sectional views showing portions of the machine of Fig. 1 in difmoving the curl from envelope flaps by means of a sharp decurling edge which extends across the flap of each envelope and drawing the flap across the edge in such a manner that the curl is removed therefrom. I

A further object of the invention is the provision of a suitable pressing meansfor pressing the portion of the seal flap which extends beyond the decurling edge belowthe level of such edge and maintaining it there while the envelope is advanced through the machine and the seal flap is drawn across the decurling edge in such manner as to flex it in such a direction as to remove the curl therefrom.

In order to prevent the leading edge of an envelope from striking against the .decurling edge and interfering with the proper feed of the envelopes, a further feature of the invention lies in the provision of means for elevating the leading edge of eachenvelope above the level of the decurling edge as the envelope is advanced thereover. Further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds. For a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a decurling machine embodying the invention;

ferent phases of operation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of an envelope adapted to be decurled by the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the machine of Fig. 1 taken on the line 5-5 thereof;

Fig. 6 is a view of a portion of an envelope making machine embodying the invention, portions of the machine being shown diagrammatically, and

Figs. '1 and 8 are skeleton views showing portions of the envelope machine of Fig. 6 embodying theinvention.

Referring first to Fig. 4, the envelope E to be decurled comprises a body panel i, a pair of side flaps 2, bottom flap 3, and a seal flap 4 which joins the body panel I along the fold line 5. The edge 01' the seal flap 4 is provided with a coating of gum, as indicated at 6. A machine for making envelopes of the type shown in Figure 4 is disclosed in the patent to Abraham Novick No. 1,807,867, granted June 2, 1931. The present invention is shown in a form adapted to be incorporated in the envelope making machine of said patent, the side frame members of the envelope machine being indicated in Figures 1 and 5 at I. Extending between the side frames 1 is a horizontal guide table 8 along which the en- .velopes are advanced by a pair of feed rolls 9 and I0 whose ends are iournaled in the side frames 1 and which are driven in the direction indicated by the arrows by suitable driving means, not shown. The feed rolls 9 and I0 correspond respectively to the feed rolls 10-'|l of the aforesaid patent, and in addition to feeding the envelope forward also serve to fold over and press the bottom flap 3 of the envelope against the side flaps 2 to secure these members together. Forwardly of the feed rolls 9 and l 0 is a further pair of feed rolls II and I2 whose ends are also journaled in the frame members 1, these rolls being rotated in the direction indicated by suitable gearing, not shown. Also extending between the frame members I is a guide and decurler plate l3 having a sharp upper edge which is substantially in alignment with the upper surface of v the guide table 8, the plate or table l3 being notched out as indicated at IE, to receive a portion of the periphery of the roll l2.

' As the partially completed envelopes pass along the table 8 between the feed rolls 9 and III with their seal flaps 4 trailing, the gummed edge 6 of each envelope is curled concave upwardly as indicated at l6 in Figure 1, the amount of the curl' upper ends rest on the side frames 1 and are se- I cured thereto by means of the securing screws 2|. The plate l1 has secured to the rear surface thereof an angle member 2i whose lower flat surface is in alignment with the horizontal lower edge 22 of the plate l1. Each of the upwardly extending ends 23 of the plate IT is received in a slot 24 provided in an actuating block 2! which is slotted as indicated at 20 to receive the end of anfactuating rock arm 21, the plate l1 being secured to the blocks 28 as by the rivets 1'. Each arm 21 is connected to its block 2| by means of a pin 2| which passes through an elongated slot 20 provided in the arm 21. The arms 21 are secured to a transversely extendingrock shaft 30 which is Journaled in a pair of bearings ll supported on the frame members I and secured thereto by the screws 32, endwise motion of the shaft II in the bearings ll being prevented by means of a pair of collars 32 secured to the shaft 30.

-The shaft 30 is rocked back and forth by means of a rocker arm 24 secured to the shaft and a link 3 which is pivotally connected to the end of the rocker arm 34 by means of a pivot pin 48.. The lower end of the link 38 is reciprocated by means of a suitable cam. not shown, the end of the link being biased towards the cam by means of a spring I1. In order toadjust the limit of downward movement of the pressing plate l1 under the action of'the spring 31 to accommodate envelope blanks of diiferent thicknesaeach of the arms 21 is provided with a projecting block 38 threaded to receive an adjustable screw II, the lower end 44 of which is adapted to engage the upper surface 4| of a,

frame member 1. After adjustment of a screw 30, it may be locked in such position by means of a lock-nut 42. In order to prevent lost mo-- tion between the rock arm 21 and the pressing plate l1 which might be caused by wear of the pin or the marginal surface of the slot 2!, each arm 21 carries a proiecting pin 43, which is connected by a spring 44 to a projecting pin 4| secured to the plate l1 so that each pin 28 is maintained firmly in engagement-with the lower edge of the slot at all times.

border to prevent the leading'edge of each envelope blank from striking against the decurling edge l4, thus interfering with theproper feeding of the envelopes, means is providedlfor lifting the leading'edge of each envelope blank slightly above they level of the edge l4 so that the blank will clear said edge as it is advanced thereover by the feed rolls I and II. The illustrated embodiment of such elevating means comprises an elongated plate 44, which is inclined upwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and whose ends are secured to a pair of angle brackets 41 by means of the screws 44. Each angle bracket 41 is attached to the pressing plate l1 by any suitable means such as the screws 49. I'he en-- velope blank elevating plate 46 is thus raised .passed beyond the decurling edge. noted that the flap is now flat and that the its lowest position and that envelope approaches the d curling edge I4, the

link 35 is elevated by its actuating cam, not shown, to elevate the pressing plate l1 and the elevating plate 46 into the position shown in Figure l, the upwardly inclined surface of the plate 48 serving to guide, the leading edge of the blank over the decurling edge l4 as the advancement of the blank continues. Shortly thereafter the elevating plate '46 and the pressing plate l1 are lowered under the action of the spring 31 and the advancement of the blank continues along the flat upper surface of the table I! under the action of the feed rolls II and I2. Shortly before or shortly after the fold line 5 between the flap 4 and the body I of the envelope reaches the decurling edge I4, the angle member 2| engages the upwardly curled edge It of'the flap and bends the flap downwardly as .the downward advancement of the angle member and the gummed flap is drawn across the sharp edge l4, the bending action of the paper serving to remove the curl from the flap. Figure 3 shows an envelope blank as it is being advanced further along the table l3 and after its flap 4 has It will be curl. has been entirely removed therefrom. Immediately after the parts occupy the lowest position shown in Figure 3, the pressing plate l1 commences to be elevated toward its topmost positionQby means of the link 35 and the connections therebetween above described, ready to receive the next envelope which has now been advanced into the bite of the rollers 9 and ill by any suitable means, disclosed in the aforementioned patent.

In theoperation of the device, it was found that if the-angle member 2| was omitted from the pressing plate I1, a slight but undesirable crease was formed across the flap 4 by the sharp decurling edge l4 as the flap was abruptly bent about this edge under the action of the lower edge 22 of the plate". By the provision of the angle member 2|, it was found that the formation 'of suchfa crease may be prevented. It appears that the trailing portion of the upwardly curled edge of the flap is' first engaged by the angle plate 2la short time before the plate, "has reached the flap is gradually bent about the edge i4 as the angle member 2| continues to be lowered toward its lowest position.

The lowest position reached by the edge 22 of the plate l1 may be accurately and easily controlled to secure the proper bending action of the flaps and to accommodate envelope blanks of different'thickness by the adjustment of the crews 3!.

It will be understood that the feed rolls l I and I2 advance the envelope blanks into a suitable folding means for folding the seal flap 4 about the fold line 5 and arranging the completed envelopes into stack form, such a folding and stacking arrangement being disclosed in the above mentioned patent. The feed'r'olls II and I2 are shown so disposed in Fig. 6 in an envelope machine of the type disclosed in the aforementioned patent. blanks e are advanced by means of a chain conveyor 50 over a dryer 5| which serves to dry the gum previously applied to their seal flaps by the gumming mechanism C of said patent. The conveyor 50 advances the blanks to the individualizing station G, where their travel is speeded up, whereby they may be fed individually to the scoring and foldingm'echanism. The terminal sprockets I2 of chain 50 are disposed above a table 53 upon which" the leading ends of the blanks are advancedto a device which accelerates them and withdraws them from clips (not shown) carried by the chain 50. This accelerating device comprises a pair of feed rolls 54'55, the lower roll "projecting through the table 63, as shown, and upper roll 54 having a portion of its periphery cut away to provide an operative segmental portion a and an inoperative por- Referring to said figure, the envelope.

of the envelop into the bite of the feed rollers I2 and 10 which press the fold. The rollers l2 and 10 also advance the folded envelopes between a pair of conveyin belts |l'l2 which deliver the completed envelopes onto a table 13 where they are stacked and counted.

The mechanism for accomplishing the bottom flap folding is shown in greater detail in my D. 8.

Patent No. 1,734,742 issued on November 5, 1929, v

and mechanism for accomplishing the .top flap folding is shown in detail in my U. 8. Patent No.

tain portions of the apparatus of Fig. 6 are increase the separation thereof until each blank top and bottomof the body panel and the blades 6| form those at "the side edges thereof, the construction of the scoring blades being shown in more detail in the aforesaid patent.

The blanks are next fed to the side flap folders 82 which consist of a pair of members resembling ploughshares and hence to gumming apparatus 83 for applying gum to the blanks, whereby the bottom flap 3 will be gummed to the side flaps 2. From the gumming mechanism 63, the blanks are passed to the bottom flap folding mechanism L, consisting of a pair of contacting feed rolls "-65 and a pair of cooperating folding blades 81 which fold the bottom flap 3 over into engagement with the side flaps 2. From the bottom flap folding device L the blanks are fed to the feed rolls 9 and I0 of the decurling device above described which press the gummed side and bottom flaps firmly together and advance the blanks into the bite of the pull rollers ll--l2 which draw the seal flaps of the blanks over the edge of the decurler plate l3 and the curl isremoved therefrom in the manner above described in connection with Figs. l to 5.

From the decurling device the blanks ar fed by the rollers vl l-l2 to a=device M which folds the top flap 4 of each blank about the fold line 5 thereof. This flap folding device comprises the folding members 8869 which reverse the travel of the blank and introduce the seal flap and body shown, corresponding parts being indicated by the same reference numerals primed. After leaving the chain conveyor and being separated by the feed rollers 54'55', the blanks are advanced directly and individually into the bite of the feed rollers 9-l0 of the decurling device by means of the pins 51 on the endless conveyor 56'... The rollers 8'--lll' advance the blanks with the bottom flaps leading, into the bite of the scoring rolls ISM-59' which serve to score them in the manner above described. The rolls 5858' also serve the function of the pull rolls I ll2 to pull the blanks over the edge of the decurling plate l3 which removes the curl from the seal flaps in the manner above described. After, scoring, the blanks are advanced to the side flap folding blades 62' and finished into completed envelopes in the same manner as above described in connection with Figure 6.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 8, the decurling operation is also effected before the scoring and folding operations have been performed on the blanks. The blanks are removed from the chain conveyor 50" by the accelerating rolls 54" and which serve to accelerate and separate the blanks and also to feed them individually into the bite of the pull rolls ll"-|2" of the decurling device. At this stage the trailing seal flaps are pulled over the edge of the-decurling plate I!" by the rolls ll"-|2" and the curl removed therefrom in the manner above described. From the rolls H"-|2" the blanks in a flat condition are advanced by the pins 51" of the conveyor 55" to the scoring rolls i8"59" and the side flap holding blades 82" and finished into completed envelopes in the manner above described.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forthin the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of decurling the gummed flap of an envelope blank which consists in advancing the blank toward a member having a substantially flat guide surface terminating in a. decurling edge, elevating the leading edge of the blank above the level of the decurling edge while advancing the blank, bending the flap downwardly about the decurling edge and drawing the envelope blank along the guide surface of said member while maintaining the flap bent about the decurling edge.

2. An envelope making machine comprising, in combination, means for advancing an envelope blank having' a curled seal flap along a path with the seal nap trailing, a member having a decurling edge disposed alongside said path and extending transversely thereto, means for elevating the leading edge of the blank above the level of the decurling edge during the advancement of the blank'means for bending the curled seal flap about the decurling edge, a pair of feed rollers the curled flap in bending the curled flap more sharply in the same direction in which it is bent arranged to pull the blank with the seal nap bent about the decurling edge, a flexible conveyor adapted to receive the blank from said feed rollers and advance it along said path, said conveyor being provided with spaced P jecting Pins adapted to straighten the blank during its advancement along said path and means for later folding over and gumming together the side and bottom iiaps while advancing the blank. 3. The method of decurling thegummed flap of an envelope blank which consists in advancing the blank toward a member having a decurling edge, pressing the front portion of the blank upwardly while advancing the blank to cause the leading edge thereof to clear the decurling edge, bending the iiap downwardly about the decurling edge and drawing the envelope blank along above said member while maintaining the flap bent about the decurling edge.

4. In an envelope machine, apparatus for decurling the trailing gummed flap of a traveling envelope blank comprising a sharp decurling edge transversely engaging the ungummed side of the blank, and a blank-bending device movable into engagement with the blank'in advance of said edge, including a bending member engageable with the gummed side of the blank immediately in advance of the edge and-movable into overlapping relation to said edge, ar

ranged to bend the flap across said edge at anby the deflecting member.

5. In an envelope machine, apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which the flap-deflecting member and the bending member are rigidly connected and move as a unit.

6. In an envelope machine, apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which the flap-deflecting member is located in register with the path of the curled flap margins, arranged to bend the flap by engagement with said margins.

7. In an envelope machine, means for decurling the flap of an envelope blank, comprising a guide table provided at the rear end thereof with a substantially straight decurling edge, a

pair of feed rolls arranged to pull an envelope blank along said guide table with the gummed flap trailing, and automatically operated means arranged to engage the flap rearwardly of said decurling edge and bend it about the decurling edge during the advancement of the envelope blank by said feed rolls, said automatically operating means comprising a movable pressing member, means for reciprocating said member in a path disposed immediately adjacent to the decurling edge, and an adjustable stop device for accurately controlling the lower extreme po- 'sition in said path reached by the pressing member.

8. In an envelope machine. means for decurling the flap of an envelope blank, comprising a guide table provided at the rear end thereof with a substantially straight decurling edge, a pair of feed rolls arranged to pull an envelope blank along said guide table with the gummed flap 7 trailing, i and automatically operated means arranged to engage the flap rearwardly of said decurling edge and bend it about the decurling edge during the advancement of the envelope blank by said feed rolls, said automatically operating means comprising a lifting device arranged to guide the leading end of the envelope blank clear of the decurling edge.

ABRAHAM NOVICK. 

